read time: 10 to 15 minutes.

we live in a world that is filled to the brim with stressors. as soon as you wake up in the morning, it’s on. your device sending you countless notifications, an overdraft fee from your bank, your boss already on your case about something — all while you quickly devour breakfast in a massive line of rush hour traffic. we are all seemingly used to the hustle of daily life, often telling our friends and family we thrive in such energy. however, human beings did not biologically evolve to handle the prized “grind” long-term.

we need more balance.

a quick biology 101 recap.

most of us have heard of the fight or flight (FoF) response. this is the body’s response to danger, stress, or any threat that needs a fast and effective response from your physical body and mind.

it is governed by the sympathetic nervous system.

when we notice a threat, our bodies go straight into action, releasing adrenaline and cortisol (the stress hormone), putting our livers to work converting glycogen to glucose and in turn ATP (energy molecule), our hearts begin to beat faster, the pupils dilate, and lungs take in more oxygen. all of this happens so we can respond at peak performance and (hopefully) survive the threat.

“the grind” values incessant and relentless hard work — mental and physical — over resting and recovering.

lack of sleep, stress eating, a caffeine IV throughout the day, and piles of work all contribute to damaging amounts of stress on our physical bodies and our mental health. the constant stimulation of screens, social media and information being shoved into our brains keeps the sympathetic nervous system rolling on high.

so, what actually happens to our bodies with this long-term stress?

think of a machine that is always working at high capacity. if this machine isn’t well-oiled, taken care of, or given routine checkups to ensure peak health of its parts, the machine will eventually break down, and it won't take very long. this is what happens to our bodies. after months and even years of chronic stress, acceerated wear and tear is inevitable.

let’s take a peek at the immune system throughout acute and chronic stress to understand the consequences.

when cortisol is released during the fof response, our specific (adaptive) immune response is suppressed, as this is the part of our immune system that takes the most energy and time to respond.

lymphocytes (the white blood cells for this response) have the ability to attack one specific antigen (foreign molecule) by attaching to them via customized receptor sites and sticky molecules called integrins.

however, they need to multiply to create an army that ingests the rest of the identical invaders, so this process is slow to respond and the body doesn’t have excess energy to give while in the sympathetic state.

not to mention when we are in fof, secreted hormones reduce the stickiness of our friends, integrins, so the lymphocytes lose the ability to stick to pathogens.

on the other end of things, our natural immune response, the non-specific and all-purpose response, does receive energy during fof. that being said, the body tends to be pretty particular about what the response focuses on.

there is evidence that shows our natural immune response pays specific attention to the skin and blood as a way to gear up for any bites or wounds that might occur during the threatening event. however, since the brain is evolutionarily conditioned to believe the stress response is a matter of survival, energy is only allocated towards this action if it doesn’t take away from the fof behavior. further, the excess cortisol that is released will trigger an anti-inflammatory response, so if a pathogen (disease) drops by, there’s a lack of symptoms.  

after the event, the cortisol levels drop and the immune response normalizes. the inflammatory response kicks in and you have a runny nose, sore throat and fever. with long-term build-up of cortisol, however, we see global immunosuppression of both the adaptive and natural immune response.

adaptive response t cells (lymphocytes) are reduced and if there is a consistent release of cortisol or lack of sleep, integrins lose their ability to stick. the cytotoxic ability of natural killer cells (natural response) also decreases, leaving the body short on defenses. the immune system responds to the constant levels of cortisol with an over-production of pro-inflammatory immune cells (cytokines) and inflammation increases throughout the body.

systems become increasingly out of balance and fatigue, anxiety, and sickness become a new normal.

so how do we target the culprits and what can we do in a preventative and active way to make sure our bodies don’t get burnt out? firstly, we’d like to take this moment to mention that not all stress is bad for you.

in certain situations stress is the only reason we are able to make it out alive. in addition, exercise is also a form of stress on our bodies, yet it is beneficial when we do it in moderation. while high, intense levels of exercise without adequate rest and recovery can lead to injury, consistently moderated acute exercise and long-term training increases the skeletal muscle’s ability to adapt and change. during exercise, levels of reactive oxygen species (ros), or highly reactive chemicals are released.

although detrimental to untrained muscles, frequently exercised muscles receive improved antioxidant capacity, mitochondrial biogenisis, and increased aerobic capacity from ros. the muscles are then able to handle higher intensity over time. this is an example of hormesis. small amounts of an agent that may be toxic in large doses supports strength and resilience in the long run. awareness around understanding how much stress our bodies can handle is the first step in preventing stress-induced issues. slowing down is how we get there.

let’s take a look at how lifestyle choices and health are interconnected, and how getting to the root of stress can impact the immune system and our overall wellbeing.

excess sugar and processed foods weigh the body down and cause our organs, such as the liver, to become slow and sluggish. the liver is responsible for removing toxic substances/chemicals from the body, controlling glucose levels, producing bile to help digest food, turning fat into energy, and assisting the immune system. with consistantly excess sugar, a spikes in blood glucose overburdens the liver. this type of stress on the liver causes illnesses such as diabetes and fatty liver disease.

healthy food will have the opposite effect on organs and actually lend additional support to the functioning, creating a highly tuned machine. this ultimately creates more adaptive capacity or bandwidth for the mind-body to maintain resilience and fight for balance under stressful conditions.

another common stressor is the struggle with a stable sleep and movement routine. mild and moderate exercise/movement strengthens the heart, respiratory system and muscles and is a highly effective way to promote restful, longer sleep. it also triggers our brains to release an endogenous opioid called beta-endorphins. these brain-produced chemicals have been linked to improvement of mood and natural pain relief.

movement promotes a stronger, more physically resilient body, a happier brain, and it’s able to effectively exhaust the body. in doing so, falling asleep is easier and quality of sleep (achieving each stage of sleep) improves.

stage 3 of sleep (nrem 3) happens to be the most important stage for immune system health and development. this is considered “deep sleep” before the rem stage and is the most difficult to achieve when internal and external stressors are at play (blue light exposure, sleeping in an unfamiliar location, jet lag, anxiety etc.). without this stage, the immune system is unable to boost its production - specifically of those important, sticky t-cell allies, integrins.

negative stress → lack of sleep → less time spent in nrem 3 → lowered immune function.

in order to protect the immune system from the negative impacts of stress, it is crucial to provide the body and brain with the best sleep possible.

when it comes to categories of herbs that build stress resilience adaptogens, nervines and immunomodulators/immunostimulators come to mind. these are fancy pants terms, but not so difficult to understand.

adaptogens, such as the famed reishi mushroom and ashwagandha found in our adaptive cacao, are known to calm the nervous system (fof response), as well as boost physical and mental resilience to stressors. with consistent use, adaptogens have the ability to strengthen mitochondrial health and build cellular resistance to oxidative stress. this naturally improves the body's endurance to stress so it can handle higher levels overtime.

the adaptive cacao superfood is a great alternative to any caffeine beverage if you are interested in cutting out or simply cutting back your intake. some other energizing adaptogen favorites include ashwagandha, holy basil, and rhodiola, eleuthero, cordyceps, and more.  

nervines and immunomodulators/stimulators are herbal allies that support the physical and mental. nervines lend a hand to the nervous system and can be sedating, stimulating or calming. for example, lemon balm works its gentle action of frayed and overworked nerves, soothing anxiety and depression and helping calm any nervous tension in the body.

immunomodulators/stimulators have a way of bringing a state of balance to the immune system (modulation) or the capacity to ramp up immune forces to combat pathogens. elderberry and flower are some of the most revered, having antiviral and anti-inflammatory properties while also preventing any cold or flu viruses from attaching to our healthy cell walls.

in regards to helpful actions to combat stress, these suggestions are the very tip of the iceberg. along with external assistance, listening to our bodies and taking a holistic approach are just as important if we want to understand what is causing any issues.

in order to feel the best, it is our responsibility to take some time to listen and dive a bit deeper into what may be causing the stress in the first place. since our functions and symptoms are interconnected, supporting whole body health will result in some profound, positive changes. with all they do for us, processes like our immune system deserve that extra bit of attention.